How to buy duty-free goods onboard international flights to Vietnam

According to the Vietnamese regulations on trading in duty-free goods, passengers entering Vietnam may buy goods free of duty onboard international flights to the country or at duty-free shops at airports of entry right after completing entry procedures.

However, purchases must be conducted before passengers leave customs offices’ management, inspection and control areas at such airports.

Buyers have to produce their passports bearing an entry mark or boarding passes upon buying duty-free goods. Duty-free shops have the right to check these papers and before selling goods they have to make and keep one copy of any of them.

Passengers buying duty-free goods onboard international flights to Vietnam have to produce their passports or boarding passes. When selling goods, air stewards will fully write information on the passenger names, passport serial number, flight number and seat number.

After an airplane completes the entry procedures, the flight crew will sum up documents and record information on duty-free goods buyers and hand over such to duty-free goods trading enterprises for entering data on the sales onboard the flight in the management software system connected to customs offices’ network.

Passengers onboard international flights to Vietnam may buy duty-free goods within the quotas of duty-free luggage provided in Prime Minister Decision No. 31/2015/QD-TTg dated August 4, 2015, on quotas of luggage, personal effects, gifts and sample goods exempt from duty, considered for duty exemption or regarded as duty-free.- (VLLF)